Constraints on Nucleon Decay via "Invisible" Modes from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

TL;DR

This paper uses data from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory to set new, more stringent limits on the lifetime of nucleons decaying via invisible modes, significantly improving previous constraints.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive constraint on invisible nucleon decay modes using gamma-ray detection from residual nucleus de-excitation.

Findings

Limit of tau_inv > 2 x 10^{29} years at 90% confidence

More stringent than previous constraints by an order of magnitude

400 times more restrictive for neutron decay modes

Abstract

Data from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory have been used to constrain the lifetime for nucleon decay to ``invisible'' modes, such as n -> 3 nu. The analysis was based on a search for gamma-rays from the de-excitation of the residual nucleus that would result from the disappearance of either a proton or neutron from O16. A limit of tau_inv > 2 x 10^{29} years is obtained at 90% confidence for either neutron or proton decay modes. This is about an order of magnitude more stringent than previous constraints on invisible proton decay modes and 400 times more stringent than similar neutron modes.